Asian song festival in Bali

Asian song festival in Bali

JAKARTA: Minister/State Secretary Moerdiono has agreed to open the 1996 Asian Song Festival which will be held in Bali on March 30, the organizers said yesterday.

Sadikin Zuchra, chairman of the Association of Song Artists and Composers, said Moerdiono may even have a surprise in store for the festival. He did not elaborate.

Moerdiono has taken the stage several times in recent years at song festivals, contributing a number or two of his own, ranging from rock 'n roll to dangdut.

Sadikin said a symposium on the future of the recording industry in Asia will be held simultaneously with the festival in Bali.

Eleven countries have agreed to send their representatives to the song festival, he added.

Indonesia's 10 entries for the festival are still being selected out of the 140 submitted songs. The entrants will be announced on March 17. (emb)